Up to the Last Minute
by Lady Lunas
Summary: What Captain Jack Sparrow and company are thinking as Jack's hanging arrives at the end of the movie.


Oh boy. I never expected to write a Pirates of the Caribbean fic. I just didn't think I could get into the head of the characters, especially Captain Jack Sparrow. So here goes...  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean. It belongs to some very lucky people at Disney. Though I wish Sparrow was real... then he'd be all mine.  
  
The man sat in the cell with his head bowed and resting on his knees. His long black hair hung in streamers, hiding his face. The beads woven into his dirty locks shivered as he sighed. The red bandana slipped down the man's hair and he pushed it back up with one hand, trying to tighten the knot with the other. He sighed as the knot slid loose and the bandanna slipped down to the straw covered dirt floor. He sighed again as he looked up.  
  
Another man stood looking at him from outside the bars of the cell. This new man was tall, with rough hands, like he was used to work. He wore a creme colored linen shirt and dark brown breeches. A sword was strapped to his waist. His hair was light brown and was pulled back in a loose ponytail.  
  
The man in the cell stood up and ambled over to the bars and peered through them at the other man. "Will Turner."  
  
The free man smiled slightly. "Jack." He paused for a moment. "Governor Swann granted me clemency, but he would not listen to my pleas of your innocence. I'm sorry, Jack. Is there anything I can do?"  
  
The man named Jack turned and walked back to the stone wall of the cell. "No, lad. There isn't. Unless you could convince your friend Norrington to stop the hanging."  
  
Will sighed. "I tried."  
  
Jack didn't respond. Will sighed and walked quickly away. His footsteps echoed down the corridor, but Jack didn't turn his head until the sounds had disappeared. He bent down and picked up his bandanna, then smiled. He slipped it over his head and tied it in its usual place. Jack glanced out the barred window at the blue sky. A quick glimpse of the sun told him there were only about three hours until his appointment with the gallows. He laid down on the floor, just looking at the sky and hearing the distant rumble of the waves as they crashed on the rocks below the fort.  
  
The waves...  
  
Jack sighed and closed his eyes. The only waves he should be hearing now were the ones crashing against the bow of the Black Pearl. His ship, the one he had lost to a mutiny led by his first mate, then to the Code when he was left behind on the bloody Isla de Muerta. But the pirates had done what was right by them. It just was not right for Jack.  
  
And now Jack was caught. Caught by the bargain he had made with Norrington. Jack had assumed the captured pirates aboard the Pearl would help Elizabeth take out Barbossa. Instead, they had taken the Pearl and ran. Jack didn't exactly blame them. After all, Norrington was waiting with his ship for Barbossa's pirates to come out of the cave. They didn't want to be caught in the crossfire. But they still ran off with his ship!  
  
Jack cursed and rose to his feet. He would never be able to escape this place with thoughts like those. He began pacing around the cell thinking of methods to convince the Commodore he was not a danger to Port Royal. Jack snorted at the thought. Norrington despised pirates and would hang every one he saw without a second thought. Still, if they used the irons like they had when this whole thing started...  
  
A noise from outside the cell startled him. He had been so deep in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed Norrington approaching. Jack sauntered over the the bars and peered out at the man. He wore his customary gold brocaded blue overcoat and white breeches. His sword was hanging from his belt and his white wig was in place underneath the blue hat. Norrington did not look happy.  
  
"Mr. Sparrow," he said in his clipped British accent. "I allowed Mr Turner to talk to you. I pray you did not give him any foolish escape plans you might have been entertaining."  
  
Jack grinned and stepped over to the bars. "I did not give him any foolish escape plans I might have been entertaining."  
  
Norrington closed his eyes. "Good. Mr. Sparrow, you will be hanged in less than two hours. Pray it is over quick."  
  
Norrington strode off down the corridor, accompanied by two guards. Jack stared after him in bemusement. He narrowed his eyes and called out, "It's Captain Sparrow!" The pirate laid back down on the floor. "Can't I get any respect?"  
  
He closed his eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Norrington sighed and looked down at his desk. He had tripled the guard around the fort today. Mr Sparrow would not have much opportunity to escape, even if his pirate friends came to the rescue. The desk was littered with papers. The one which caught his attention was the Order of Execution for one Jack Sparrow. Norrington picked up the paper and sighed. In one and a half hours, Jack Sparrow would be dead by hanging, and Norrington would be free of the the most exasperating pirate in current existence. Still, there was something about the man...  
  
Norrington sat down in his chair and ran his hands over his face. If this was the right thing to do, why did he feel that it was wrong?  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Clang. Clang. The sounds of Will hammering a glowing piece of metal into a flat blade. J Brown looked on in a state of rare sobriety.  
  
"Turner," his master asked. "What are you doing? There's a hanging in an hour. Shouldn't we get going to get a good spot?"  
  
Will growled and stuck the metal back in the fire. He didn't reply until he had taken off his soot stained apron. "Go ahead, sir. I will be there soon."  
  
Brown glanced at his apprentice, but walked out the door and presumably headed off to see the hanging. Will watched the door close and muttered a curse Jack had taught him. Jack. Will could think of only one thing to do to rescue his friend from certain death. And he would need a good sword...  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Elizabeth Swann stared at the fort from her room's balcony. A faint breeze stirred her unbound hair and robe. She glanced over the dock and the water hoping beyond anything to see a black ship with black sails come sailing into the bay. But no such ship appeared and Elizabeth turned toward her room as the maid called her name.  
  
The maid hurriedly passed Elizabeth and closed the doors and drew the curtains over them. "Hurry, milady! The hanging is in less than an hour and you must be respectable enough to be seen with your betrothed."  
  
Elizabeth closed her eyes as the maid pulled off her robe and pulled a pale green dress from the wardrobe. Elizabeth opened her eyes to the tightening of a corset around her body. The maid then slid the pale dress on and began toying with Elizabeth's hair. Twenty minutes later, it was a mess of curls pinned onto the top of Elizabeth's head, with one curl falling down to her shoulder. A tentative knock came as the maid finished with the final details. The door opened and admitted Governor Swann. "Elizabeth dear, it is time to go. The carriage is waiting."  
  
Elizabeth nodded and followed her father down to the carriage. She sat, staring at her hands until her father reached out and lifted her chin in his hand. He smiled at her, but said nothing. They rode in silence to the fort.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Norrington looked down at the man lying on the straw and dirt floor of the cell. The man opened one eye and looked at Norrington. "So, the famous Commodore of Port Royal has come to escort me to my death."  
  
Norrington frowned and motioned at two of the redcoats standing at the cell door. One unlocked the door while the other entered the cell holding a piece of rope in front of him. Jack rose to his feet and raised an eyebrow. "What, no irons?"  
  
The Commodore gave a small smile. "No, Mr Sparrow, no irons. I do not think we want any escape attempts like the one you delivered several weeks ago."  
  
Jack sighed and held out his hands. The redcoat wrapped the rope tightly around Jack's wrists until they were tight enough that that he could not escape without help. Then the redcoat led Jack out past the Commodore and the other guards. They walked through the hallways in silence.  
  
Jack didn't look around for an escape route. He had realized there was not a good chance of escaping. Instead, he occupied himself with listing all the things he was accused of in his head. Piracy, smuggling, impersonating an officer of the Spanish Royal Navy, sailing under false colors, arson, kidnapping, looting, poaching, depravity, depredation, general lawlessness... and what was that one? Something about religion? Oh well, it would be listed to the crowd before the hanging.  
  
The group climbed the steps into the courtyard of the fort, where the gallows waited. Norrington glanced around at the crowd as if looking for something. Whatever he was looking for apparently was not there, for the Commodore turned to the redcoats.  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"Take Mr Sparrow to the gallows." Norrington nodded his men toward the gallows.  
  
Jack followed the guards quietly. There was no hope for him now. The guards watched his every movement, but Jack did nothing. The black masked executioner stood atop the gallows watching as the group approached. Jack stepped up to the platform and stood there, looking over the crowd. The guards took their position as Commodore Norrington joined Governor Swann and Elizabeth. He idly wondered where Will was, but dismissed the thought. He wanted to die with the image of the Black Pearl in his mind.  
  
Then the drums began to beat their deadly tune... 


End file.
